Baby, What a Big Suprise
by ForeverLeyton
Summary: Peyton Sawyer has a plan and its finally time to put her plan into action. Can she pull off a surprise wedding in Tree Hill? Basically just a long piece of Leyton fluff.
1. Scheming Star

**Introduction/Summary:**

Peyton Sawyer has a plan and its finally time to put her plan into action. Can she pull off a surprise wedding in Tree Hill? Basically just a long piece of Leyton fluff.

Everything that has happened in the show up till now has occurred in my fictional world, except for the small scene in episode 6x05 where Peyton and Lucas choose a wedding date and site.

Disclaimers: First, I don't own One Tree Hill, its quotes, characters or storylines. I wish I did, but I don't. Actually, I don't own anything. So if it sounds familiar, it's purely coincidental and not intended to infringe on anyone's intellectual property.

Second, everyone says this but I promise, this is the very first time I've done something like this. I work at a writing intensive job but never fiction. It's a whole new world for me. But I've been reading submissions on this website for a while now and decided to give it a shot. Please let me know what you think!

Finally, if this story is similar to any other on the site, I apologize. I could promise you the ideas are completely my own but you have no reason to trust me. Suffice it to say, I've tried to review any stories that may seem similar but I haven't read everything yet. Any similarity to someone else's story is an accident, for which I apologize ahead of time.

Ok, I think that's it. Onward…

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**Chpt. 1--Scheming Star**

Getting started on her first step, Peyton Sawyer began making the necessary calls. "Hey Hales. Listen, can you and Nate swing by TRIC today? Around four. I'll explain when you get here; I want to run something by you guys. Thanks Haley. Oh and don't tell Lucas, K? Bye."

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"Ok P. Sawyer, who did you kill and where should we hide the body?" Brooke joined the others hanging out in the now-empty bar adjacent to Peyton's office.

Peyton looked around and responded, "Ha-Ha. Listen, I've been … Umm. Who do we know is the king of the grand gestures?"

"You mean, Mr. throw-your-best-friend-a-wedding-reception?" Haley asked.

"Ohhh…Mr. run-into-burning-buildings-and-save-lives," Brooke drawled.

"I know. Mr. lay-off-the-heart-pills-to-win-a-high-school-state-championship," was Nate's reply.

"Yes! Exactly! The boy who is always saving me."

At this point Nathan and Haley's son Jamie, a mirror image of the very man in question, looked quizzically around at the adults and asked, "Wait, who are you guys talking about?" Everyone laughed but Brooke, who, knowing her best friend better than anyone, was looking at Peyton intently. "What do you have in mind, P. Sawyer? I can see you're thinking."

"Well…" Peyton hesitated "I was thinking we could…I could… What about throwing a surprise wedding for Lucas?"

The whole group laughed while Haley interjected, "Umm. A surprise wedding? Don't you kind of need the groom's consent for that sort of thing?"

"No, seriously." Peyton was serious. "I've been thinking about this for a while. Since the plane ride home from Vegas actually. And you said it yourself, Haley. I mean he threw you your first reception without your participation. How much harder can it be to add the ceremony?" Everyone was looking at Peyton like she had gone completely crazy but she plowed on. "Ok, here's what I'm thinking. We plan a wedding at the River Court." This got Haley's interest. "Girls do most of the wedding planning anyway, right? And I'll have y'all to help."

Skills finally piped in, "Baby girl, how you gonna get my boy to the River Court in a suit?

"Well, in a month it'll be the day Luke first towed my car." Nathan rolled his eyes. "I know, I know. But come on. With all our possible anniversaries, shouldn't that day be ours? Isn't that the one that counts? Anyway. I'll tell Luke we are going out--fancy restaurant, fancy dress, etc. Then 'last minute' something will come up and I'll need to meet one of you for a non-emergency emergency or something. I'll call Lucas from the road, tell him to pick me up at the River Court. He arrives, someone explains the set up, and I show up to walk down the aisle. Poof. A wedding.

"Poof?" Nathan asked.

"Poof." Peyton nodded. "Come on guys. Its not fool proof but you have to admit its perfect."

"Definitely not fool proof," was Nathan's comment.

"And definitely perfect for Luke," Haley smiled. "It's a beautiful idea Peyton."

Brooke hooked arms with Peyton. "You know I'm in. And I'm so making the dresses. We are all going to look kick ass at the very least." Peyton flashed Brooke and Haley grateful smiles as everyone agreed to help and Jamie piped in with "a wedding at the River Court? Well, at least there's no bathrooms."

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	2. Wild & Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Ok guys, I've been reading over where this story is headed and I thought I should warn you--this is pretty much a no drama piece. I think its still interesting, but just keep a little romance in mind. Peyton and Lucas deserve it!!

Also, I changed it from M to T. If I decide (or you want me) to add a few 'extra' scenes and change it back to M, let me know.

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* * *

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**Chpt. 2: (Wild and) Crazy Little Thing Called Love**

Nearly a month later, Peyton was getting nervous. She and the girls had taken care of all the details--there was a band, decorations, a minister--except one. The big one. Finding a way to get Lucas to the River Court, in a suit, without him guessing what was going on. Getting started, she walked into the room where Lucas was scowling at a nearly blank computer screen. Leaning over his back she used her palm to turn his chin and slowly sink into a kiss. "Mmmm." Lucas groaned and swiveled his chair to pull her onto his lap. Peyton sighed against Lucas's mouth and slowly traced her tongue across his lips; his instantly reached to join hers and they both got caught up in another deep kiss until Peyton finally pulled away and whispered "Hey baby."

"Hey," Lucas smiled, resting his forehead on hers.

"So… do you know what Saturday is?'

Clearly, and anxiously, wracking his brain, Lucas said "Nooo… am I in trouble?"

Smiling, Peyton replied, "it's the day you towed my car." Luke's eyebrows raise. "The day you walked into my life."

"Ha, well, your chickeny legs had walked into my life a long time before that. Or at least into my dreams." Luke laughed as Peyton smacked his chest. "Wait, I remember. You're talking about the day you told me you were good at sex. Which I believe you were having with my spoiled ass of a brother at the time."

Peyton smacked him again but giggled and said, "Ok. That's not important. That's not the part you remember and you know it."

"No. You're right." Lucas adjusted Peyton on his lap. "What I remember is that the girl with the chickeny legs and bright green eyes was finally speaking to me."

"And what _I_ remember is that the boy with the serious smile looked into me like he could see my most secret thoughts." Lucas leaned in to kiss Peyton again, a long but chaste meeting of smiling lips. "So. I was thinking. We have a lot of anniversaries."

Laughing, Luke interrupted, "The first time we kissed; making out when I was seeing Brooke; you kissing me in the library…"

"Why do you keep forcing me to slap you?"

"….kissing at the State Championship; Honey Grove, now that's a good one. When I asked you to marry me. When I asked you to marry me again." Luke couldn't stop laughing at Peyton's annoyed frown.

"Anyway. I was thinking this Saturday should be the day we celebrate. Like an anniversary. At least until we get married."

"Speaking of, when are we going to do that?" Luke asked.

"Well, your last postcard said your Mom and Andy would be at sea two more months, right? So we should pick a date after that."

"Ok, Blondie, but get ready. Your single, Brooke-Davis-Meets-Sex-In-The-City lifestyle is about to come to an end."

"Yeah, I'm a real Carrie Bradshaw now anyway. And admit it, you liked the episodes I made you watch. That's why you made the reference."

Luke rolled his eyes but he let it go. Watching Sex in the City with Peyton was actually a good time--they curled up together on the couch and the show was great at making her laugh. He loved her laugh. Plus the sex scenes got her hot sometimes. That added bonus was worth every minute of slightly embarrassing girl talk.

"So what do you say, Luke? Wanna get all dressed up, drive to Charlotte for the night? I'm thinking long dinner, lots of wine, and then some wild and crazy back at our hotel room. What do you think?"

"Wild _and_ crazy? I'm in. Actually, that sounds perfect Peyton. I'll get the room."

"No." Peyton exclaimed a little too loudly. Laughing hesitantly at Luke's surprised look, she hurried "Let me. I want to take care of the details. You just show up." Laying her head on his chest Peyton squeezed Luke and repeated "I'll plan it all, ok? Your just put on your best suit and show up."

"Ok, but" lifting her chin to his kiss, "shouldn't we practice the wild and crazy sex?" He kissed her again and stood from the chair as she wrapped her legs around his waist. "I mean, we do want the night to be perfect. We should definitely practice."

Leaning back with her arms and legs hooked around him, Peyton laughed "I don't remember saying sex. I said 'wild and crazy.' I was thinking more like drunken board games."

With that Lucas spun around and slammed her back against the wall, sweeping his tongue into her mouth when she gasped. Using the wall as leverage, his hands streaked under her top and raced across her abdomen to her breasts. When Peyton started to pant he took a quick step back, letting her slide down the wall onto unsteady legs. Smiling he calmly asked "Ok, ready for some monopoly?" and began to walk away. When Peyton landed on his back and bit his earlobe, they both laughed all the way to the bedroom.

* * *


	3. Band of Gold

**Chpt. 3: Band of Gold**

"Ok, Luke, where are we headed?" Nathan stretched his legs out in the front seat of Luke's car.

"She said anniversary. That means presents, right?"

"Anniversary. That means jewelry."

"Huh. You sure? Cause I was thinking something more like a hot dress from Clothes Over Bros."

"Dude. You are such a rookie. You want to get Peyton, on the anniversary of the day y'all started this crazy thing, an uncomfortable dress so she will look hot for you? And lets not even mention that its designed by her best friend, who would probably just give it to her for free."

"Ok, Ok. What about a vintage Cure album?"

"Duuudddee. Jewelry. I'm telling you man."

"Ok. Geesh. But 'Lovesong' _is _what she painted on the River Court," Luke replied defensively. "And Peyton's not like other girls. I'm not sure I should be that typical."

"Fine. You can buy her an album we both know she already has. That wouldn't be typical at all. You gotta do the jewelry thing, at least once . Just get something that's _not _typical, but still shiny. Trust me. Here's what I think. I think you should get her a ring."

"No, see, you aren't as good at this as you think. She's using her Mom's ring; that's special. I'm not replacing that."

"Ok. You're right. How 'bout… a ring!"

"Nate--"

"No, listen." Nate was inspired. "Not an engagement ring. But a ring. You can get one of those anniversary band deals. That totally fits with the theme and you won't feel so bad about not buying a ring. This time." Nate laughed when Luke punched him. "Seriously. It could even double as a wedding band."

"Isn't that kind of weird, giving her the wedding band before we get married?"

"No. Umm. No." 'Oh shit. Whoops,' Nate thought as he frantically tried to cover. "I don't know. Wait! I'll call in the experts!" Nate took out his cell phone.

"Ok. Hey, look, I'm going to pull over. I gotta pee."

"Damn. No service." Nate lied, trying to delay this phone call. "I'll try again when we stop." Luke pulled into a service station. "Yeah, there's my bars coming back. Go ahead. I'll call Hales. I want to let her know we're headed into Charlotte anyway."

"K."

As soon as Luke was out of earshot Nate dialed Haley on his cell.

"Hey you."

"Hey. Say 'my husband is a genius.'"

"Ha. Not happening without more information. What's going on?"

"You know how Luke wanted to run errands?"

"Yea."

"Well we are headed to Charlotte."

"Charlotte? Ok?"

"I have Luke convinced to buy Peyton a ring. I think if I play this right I can steer him to something like a wedding band. I already suggested an anniversary band. That's close, right?" Silence. "Hales?"

"My husband really is a genius."

Nate smirked. "Yeah I am. So this is good, right?"

"Its fantastic Nate. Then Peyton will have a wedding ring. She'll be shocked. Good. She needs some surprises too."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking."

"Very romantic plan, mister. Why don't you bring some of that sexy thinking home with you tonight?"

"Some of that sexy thinking or some of that sexy jewelry we're gonna see?"

"Hmm. Go crazy. Bring both."

"Ha. Ok. Look Luke's gonna be back any second. So help. What are we looking for here?"

"Hmm. Well, with jewelry you've got to kind of go with your gut but try to lead him to bands. Maybe something with a few diamonds wrapped around so its not a traditional wedding ring. Oh! And its gotta be silver. Her Mom's ring is silver."

"Ok. Silver with diamonds. Got it. Thanks Hales, gotta run." He started to pull the phone away.

"Hey, genius!" Haley yelled, "I love you, you know."

"I know." Nate couldn't hide the smugness as Luke got back in the car. "You too." He hung up and turned to Lucas. "Ok, my girl says definitely get a band."

"She didn't think that was weird?" Luke asked skeptically.

"Not according to Hales. She says you should stick to the unconventional with Peyton. It's girls man. What do we know?"

"Well… I guess you have been married a while. Lets just hit Orleans and we'll see what they've got in stock."

Nate whistled, "Orleans. Nice. Now you're talking. Ok, so, on to important stuff. When will the Bobcats stop sucking?"

* * *

The boys walked into Orleans and Lucas was immediately overwhelmed. Even when he focused in on the rings, there were so many to choose from. And so much to know: silver or gold? Cut? Clarity? He was lucky he remembered Peyton's ring size. Feeling a little panicked, he turned to Nathan. "You've done this before--I need help. Besides, you're the one that got me into this mess."

"I hate to remind you, but you've done this before, too. Twice, actually."

"Once." Nathan's eyes widened at Luke's sheepish expression. "Lindsey's ring was really Peyton's. Or it was supposed to be. It was all just a big…"

"Cluster?"

"Cluster." Luke confirmed. "So. Peyton's mom's ring is better anyway. It means more. Let's look for something to go with that. Wait." Something caught Luke's eye. "This is it. This is Peyton's."

Joining Luke, Nate glanced at the ring in the display. "You sure, man? I mean it's beautiful. But dude, that ring's not kidding around."

"No. It's perfect." Luke couldn't stop staring at the ring. When the jeweler handed it to him the ring _felt _right in his hands. He knew this was Peyton's. It was a small loop of diamonds, each one cut in the same emerald square shape as the diamond on her Mom's ring. There was no band at all--only tiny silver hands holding the diamonds together at every corner. "Haley said unconventional, right? Peyton's hands are so small, a thick band would overwhelm them." Luke was really getting into it. "But these diamonds? They're perfectly clear. Delicate." He looked at Nate. "Like her. And it doesn't look typical."

"Ha. Peyton Sawyer, delicate my ass. But I get what you mean. You're sure." Nate glanced at the price tag. "Holy shit, Luke! Have you seen…" Luke just continued to stare at the ring. "Right, you're sure. Let's go."

When the deal was done Luke walked out the store carrying a small bag and an excited expression. Nate couldn't wait to tell Haley--that ring would look great right next to Peyton's Mom's ring. It would make the perfect surprise wedding band. But he couldn't resist harassing Luke a little more. "So. How much money do you make writing sappy stories about Peyton anyway?"

* * *

While the boys were looking at rings, Brooke came to pick Jamie up for their ice cream date. Before she could knock Haley had wrenched the door open and pulled Brooke into the house. "Haley what are you--"

"Luke is buying a ring!" The two girls began to jump up and down and scream until Brooke suddenly stopped.

"What? Wait.. Peyton already has a ring." Brooke frowned. "I'm confused."

"That's ok Aunt Brooke. I don't know what Mama is talking about most of the time." Haley rolled her eyes at her son but decided to ignore him.

"I know. Nate is convincing him to buy some kind of band. So I have an idea."

"Oh I like where this is going."

"Peyton was just going to skip the whole ring thing, right? So Luke didn't feel bad that he didn't have a ring. Again." Brooke started laughing. "So what if we buy him one? Something simple. Engraved maybe."

Brooke, racing ahead, exclaimed, "And we can call the minister and tell him not to skip that part. And Jamie can hold the ring secretly! Nate will set it up!"

"Exactly," Haley laughed and grabbed her purse. "Let's go!"


	4. Feel Like Makin' Love

**Chpt. 4: Feel Like Makin' Love**

I can't sleep so I decided to write an extra scene instead (not that this scene is really helping me fall asleep!) This one wasn't really part of the original plan and was written pretty quickly so if there are more grammatical mistakes than usual, I apologize. And wow! It is a lot longer than usual. Hope that's ok. Also, with work starting back up tomorrow, and Christmas fast approaching, the updates will probably be less frequent in the coming days but I'm going to try and stay on task!

By popular demand, the rating has been changed back to M. Sorry for the obvious chapter title but, well, some things are meant to be obvious, right?

Oh and I promised the story would follow along the show's previous episodes but I started writing this before Peyton had her 'mysterious' stomach pains. (BTW, we're all hoping for pregnancy, right?) I couldn't find a good way to squeeze the pains into the story so I wind up basically dismissing them here. I'm actually looking forward to seeing how the show follows through with that storyline, so I guess we will all have to wait till January. Until then…

* * *

It was past midnight when Lucas unlocked his front door. The lights were on but he knew Peyton had done that for him--she left a message earlier that she was headed to bed. He hadn't intended to be this late but his meetings in New York ran over and then, of course, his shuttle was delayed at the airport. He didn't mind, really, except he wasn't sure how Peyton felt about him spending so much time in New York. He had a brand new editor helping him shape ideas for a third book and he knew Peyton wasn't worried but things were going so well now, he didn't want anything stupid, like Lindsey drama, messing them up. Especially with Julian back in town. Peyton may not be the jealous type, but it was turning out that Lucas was. Just thinking about Julian made Luke uncomfortable; he felt a nagging need to prove to Peyton she hadn't made a mistake by waiting for him. Thinking along those lines, Luke searched the back of the pots and pans cabinet for an old shoe box. Knowing Peyton had given up solo cooking after their dash-of-salt incident in high school, he knew she had no reason to open that particular cabinet, thus creating the perfect hiding spot. But Luke was nervous nonetheless and most nights found himself sneaking off into the kitchen to look at her ring one last time before bed. He was like a kid who bought his Mom the perfect Christmas present--he could barely wait the two extra days before he could slip the ring on her finger during their anniversary celebration. But he held strong, slipping the ring back in the bag, under the recipe cards, inside the shoe box--you couldn't be too careful--and back into the cabinet.

Content that his suprise was still safely hidden, Lucas slipped into their bedroom to find his fiancé. He knew she liked to read for a while before falling asleep and he had hoped she was still awake. Unfortunately, though, she had already fallen asleep, with a copy of _The Lovely Bones_ opened on her chest and the latest _Rolling Stone_ issue wedged under her back. Shaking his head as he adjusted the covers she had kicked off, Lucas thought, not for the first time, that she slept like a two year old. He had spent many entertaining nights lying awake watching her toss and turn and listening to her talk in her sleep. (The secret "conversations" she had with Brooke, generally detailing each other's current sex lives, were his favorite snippets to catch.) When he removed the book on her chest his knuckles grazed lightly over her t-shirt-covered belly. His hand clenched into a fist resting tightly on top of her as he remembered watching her grip her stomach and double over in pain a few months ago. Though it turned out the pain was caused by a small kidney stone, he still couldn't shake the fear he felt when she told him the doctor was running some tests. _Cancer._ Such a scary word. Through all their heartaches and break ups and tears, Luke couldn't remember a bigger fight than the one they had when he discovered she had faced that fear alone.

* * *

"_You don't always have to save me Lucas." It seemed to Peyton this was the millionth time they had had this particular fight since he caught her hiding in their bedroom, gasping from the now-familiar pains in her stomach._

"_And you don't have to do everything by yourself. God, Peyton. You are talking tests for _cancer_. Even if its nothing, I should have been there."_

"_You were gone Luke. And Julian had just come to town and--"_

"_No." Luke was in front of her in a heartbeat, grabbing her arms and pulling her to her toes. "You won't use him. I'm going to be there, Peyton Sawyer. Always. I don't care how many ex-boyfriends are in town. Got it?" With that Luke turned to storm off, furious that she would use Julian and his schedule as an excuse to keep something so huge from him._

"_Luke." Peyton's voice was barely a whisper and he couldn't help himself--he turned around. "Luke, don't leave like this. You're right, I should have told you. I shouldn't keep something like this from you. I was scared Luke. The doctor asked about Ellie and…" Luke was immediately back at her side. This time his grip on her arms was gentle as he pulled her to his chest._

"_God Peyton. I didn't even think about Ellie. You--"_

"_Don't yell anymore, Luke, please. The doctor said its probably nothing. He ran a lot of tests. He even ran a pregnancy test." She knew that would distract him and she thought it would be as good a time as any to see what he was thinking about this issue. They had discussed kids--as in children, growing up, sometime in the hazy future--but never babies. _

"_Are you…?"_

"_No." Peyton shook her head. "That test came back pretty quick," she said with a rueful grin. "I was kind of hoping that was it. I mean I know we're not ready," Peyton hurried on, "but at least the pain could be for something, right?'_

_Luke just nodded. He couldn't get the image of Peyton pregnant out of his head. She was right, they probably weren't quite ready. But wasn't it just a fantastic thought? _

"_You're sure you're not in pain anymore?"_

"_It comes and it goes." Peyton knew she had to be honest. "But I'm fine right now. There's really no predicting it." _

"_Ok. So you were hoping you were pregnant?'_

"_Well, its better than cancer," Peyton leaned back to grin at him. "Oh God." She clamped a hand over her mouth even as she snorted out a laugh, "that sounded awful, didn't it?"_

_Luke just laughed at her distress. "You know," Luke began circling her to their bedroom, "they say some women take a while to get pregnant. It takes lots and lots of 'practice.'" Peyton wasn't the only one looking for a little distraction. "When we are ready to get pregnant, we want to be sure we can do it right."_

"_Uh huh." Peyton's arms slipped up from his waist to wrap around his neck. "So this is for the good of our family, right?"_

"_Exactly." Luke stopped in the middle of the hallway and leaned down to kiss her. Instant heat. Somehow that's what she had always sparked in him. Distance, familiarity, time--nothing seemed to lessen that spark._

_Wanting to change the angle of the kiss--'more' was her only thought--Peyton used Luke's shoulders to boost herself up, wrapping her legs around his waist. She knew how he loved her lean legs wrapped around him and she could feel the effects as he instantly began to harden against her._

"_Peyton…" Lucas groaned against her mouth as he swept his hands from her back and down her legs, scraping back up again to slip his fingertips under her shorts. Luke's mouth went dry when he discovered she didn't have any underwear on. This was something she did for convenience, usually when the laundry was backed up, but it never failed to send Luke's pulse racing. Lowering them both to the hallway floor, Luke knew it would be a while before they saw the inside of their bedroom._

_Finally breaking from their kiss, Luke's hands rushed to touch her everywhere. Anywhere. God, just to touch. His mouth followed suit, streaking down her neck to trace his tongue over the hollow spot near her collarbone that they both loved so much._

_If Peyton could think, she would think that loving Lucas for so long had some pretty sensational benefits. They both knew just what to do to drive the other crazy. Keeping her legs wrapped tight around his waist, Peyton slipped her hands inside the back of his jeans to pull him firmly against her. Luke's mouth continued its downward journey, moving lightly over her breast to grip her tight nipple between his teeth through the fabric of her thin t-shirt. Peyton began to writhe beneath him, using the pressure of her hands and hips to drive them both crazy._

_Knowing he could send her over the edge already, Lucas slid one hand into her shorts and pressed his palm between her legs. Leaning up on his free hand, he watched her as he used one finger to lightly stroke her. This kind of light pressure could keep her in ecstasy--or was it agony?--forever, he knew, and he loved to watch her as she took it. "Holy shit Peyton, look at you." Peyton's eyes flew open to meet his gaze. Her hair was spread across the carpet and he knew she bit her lip in that sexy way to keep from crying out. Her shirt had ridden up so that one breast was bare and her legs, those sexy legs, were wrapped around his waist again, trapping his hand between them. "You're so hot baby. And so wet. God."_

"_Lucas." One word at a time was all Peyton could manage between pants. "Now. More. Please." Understanding Luke began to touch her in earnest, smothering her shouts with a kiss. When he felt her explode beneath his hand he knew the time was perfect to get her started all over again. Unbuttoning his jeans, he allowed Peyton to use her feet and legs to push them partially down. By now they were both impatient and Luke had pushed inside her before his pants were below his knees. _

"_Oh God." Peyton was already climbing high again. As Luke moved slowly above her, the friction created across her entire body was a delicious thing. Wanting to share some of it, she pulled him close for a kiss and rolled them both over. Now on top, Peyton began to move quickly, showing Lucas no mercy as she whipped them both into a fast and furious orgasm. Her nails dug into his chest as she sought to find purchase somewhere, anywhere. When she felt Lucas begin to tense beneath her she quickened her pace even more and let herself go--this time they moaned each other's names together._

_Collapsing on his chest, Peyton smiled when she heard the pounding of Lucas's heart against her ear. In that moment, she thought there could be no greater sound in the world. And although she didn't want to break the contentment of that moment--Lucas certainly seemed distracted--Peyton knew there were things that had to be said. "I love you Lucas. You're right; even if its nothing, I should have told you about the pains right away." Peyton rose up on her elbows to look at him. "But I'm not scared to let you in Luke, I promise. I know you will always be there. I don't want you worried that I think you're going to leave." Lucas frowned because that was exactly what he was worried about. "We're done with all of that, Luke. I know it. I'm not worried about it. I just… It's hard when something scares me. Hard to let someone know."_

"_I know baby. And I get it." Luke tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "But I'm not just someone. You can tell me when you are scared. You _will_ tell me when you're scared," he corrected. "I want to be scared together. Deal?'_

"_Yeah. Deal. Now. If you were feeling the need to save me again, I could really use someone to lift me off this floor." Rolling her over so he could hop up, Luke lifted her up and, shrugging, flipped her over his shoulder. When she squealed and began to smack his naked ass Luke replied, "I'm finishing up your punishment--I mean our practice--in the bedroom."_

* * *

Luke smiled as he stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed with Peyton. Placing his hand lightly on her stomach he thanked God, as he had every night since their fight, that Peyton's pains had finally passed . And he yearned for the day that her flat stomach would grow full and round under his hand, pulsing with the life of their child. But he didn't have long to enjoy the reverie. Peyton kicked off the blankets he had just replaced and flipped herself over, belly flopping directly onto Luke's chest. Snuggling in, she tucked her head under his chin, wedged one leg between his, and tucked her hands just past his head and under his pillow. Luke thought how this was one of the few positions where she would stay completely comfortable for a little while. And so, he knew, would he.

It never ceased to amaze him. With Lindsey Luke would lie awake at night, waiting for her to fall asleep so he could gently move her away from him and over to her side of the bed. He convinced himself that he simply wasn't a cuddler; most men weren't, right? Sleeping so close together would make anyone feel claustrophobic. But even then he knew it was a lie. He may have felt trapped with Lindsey but it had nothing to do with her sleeping habits. It wasn't _how_ he was sleeping, but rather _who_ he was sleeping with that didn't feel quite right. Nothing felt quite right without Peyton. Now as his fiancé wrapped herself around him in what he liked to think of as her 'Peyton bow,' Luke settled in to enjoy the comfort of her safely back in his arms.


	5. People Get Ready

So far the reviews have been positive. Thank you so much! I had no idea this would be so much fun! I hope everyone is still enjoying this story.

This installment is a lot shorter and the next chapter probably will be as well. But don't worry, there are a couple of pretty long chapters to follow these. Ok, carrying on...

**Chpt. 5: People Get Ready**

Peyton couldn't believe it was her wedding day. She was finally going to marry Lucas Scott. The boy who saved her life in more ways then she could count was going to become her life, now and forever. True love always. Peyton knew she had walked around the last few days with a permanently goofy smile on her face. She couldn't help it. They had never had a lot of happy but now it seemed even the gods agreed they were due. And today, the day all of her work and all the secrets would finally come together, was shaping up to be a beautiful day--she and Luke woke to sunny skies and a dry forecast. Everything was going to be _perfect_; even Peyton's tendency towards pessimism couldn't overwhelm the feeling that this would be the greatest of great days. Now all she had to do was get Luke to the River Court.

With that goal in mind she knocked on the bathroom door and poked her head in. "Hey slowpoke."

Luke spoke from the shower, "You coming in? We could get this party started."

Peyton replied, "You wish," but peeking her head around the curtain, she sighed, "Hm. I wish." Damn he looked good when all he wore was a smug grin and a cocked eyebrow. "No, don't distract me," she shook her head when Lucas's smile brightened. "Listen, I've gotta go meet Haley. She has the dress I'm going to borrow and Brooke's got…well, lets just say Brooke's made the 'extra' I'm going to wear." This time she laughed when Luke's smile brightened again. "Anyway, I'm just going to get dressed there. You know, girl stuff, let them do my hair, surprise you. That sort of thing. Why don't I just call you when I'm ready and you can pick me up at Haley's house, k? Give me about two hours."

"Two hours?! And you called me a slowpoke?"

"Shut up. Trust me, I'll be worth the wait." Backing out of the bathroom, Peyton flushed the toilet and fled to the sound of Luke's curse.

* * *

"Peyton Sawyer! Keep your head still! I can't believe I told Haley I could handle you by myself."

"But Brooke, champagne is meant to be drunk straight back. One gulp. And at the price you paid for this stuff, it might as well be a shot of liquid gold. Not that I'm complaining, just--Oh shit!" Brooke laughed when Peyton's "liquid gold" was almost poured down her chest. "I need to text Luke! He doesn't know to meet me at the River Court! What was I thinking?"

"You were thinking one more glass of champagne wouldn't hurt," was Brooke's dry reply. "And _I_ was thinking that I'd kick your scrawny ass back to L.A. if you got one drop of champagne on this fabulous dress."

"Damnit." Peyton frantically texted Luke 'Change of plans-headed to RC to drop H w/ N. Meet me there. Hurry up!' "Ok. Done. He'll be a little confused but he'll be there." Peyton swirled one last time in front of the mirror. "It is a fabulous dress, Brooke. And made by the fabulous B. Davis herself. How's a girl get so lucky?"

"Well, it helps that your hot. I'd've made you a dress either way but I save my best designs for hot blonde girls who marry the love of their life," Brooke smirked.

"Huh. Well, good to know. Lets go. I wanna get married."

"Wait, Peyton, one more thing."

"Brooke, there's no time for one more--" Peyton stopped short and her eyes (so much for best laid plans) welled with tears when she saw the veil Brooke was holding. "Brooke. Its…Its. Oh shit, I can't cry. We didn't talk about a veil."

"I know but you need your old, your new, your borrowed, and your blue. So I made you a little of each." Brooke ran her fingers over the light blue ribbon woven through the veil's edges while she explained. "I talked to your dad and we found an old wedding picture. Its this great shot of your parents with their backs to the camera, both smiling over their shoulders. You should get it from Larry. Anyway. Your dad thinks this is a pretty good replica of the veil your Mom wore. We found hers in the attic but it was in pretty bad shape. I was only able to salvage a little, but this ribbon is from your Mom's actual veil. Everything else is new. Oh and Jamie helped me work on it and he wanted in on the deal so he lent you one of his very own pennies, straight from his piggy bank." Brooke showed Peyton the shiny penny tucked away from view under the veil's layers. "He swears this particular penny is good luck. So the veil is sortof new and sortof old and sortof borrowed. And I figured since your wearing your Mom's ring…This could be another way of having her here today. It just seemed right." Brooke could tell Peyton was about to lose control of the tears she fought to hold back. "Is it too much? I don't want to make you sad."

"No. God no. Its beautiful Brooke. You're beautiful."

The two girls watched in the mirror as Brooke carefully attached the veil to Peyton's curls. Wrapping her arms around Peyton from behind, Brooke sighed,"You're beautiful too, Peyton. And you're _my _best friend. I'll make sure Broody remembers that. I love you."

"I can't cry Brooke." But Peyton turned to grab her best friend and hold on.

"I know. We won't." Brooke pulled away, holding out her fist and smiling when Peyton automatically bumped hers against it. "Now lets get our asses in the car or its gonna be 'hoes over no bros' soon."

* * *


	6. I Wanna Marry You

**Chpt. 6: I Wanna Marry You**

'Meet at the River Court?' Luke was confused. Why would Peyton, whom he assumed was dressed up, want to stop by the River Court? And if she was going somewhere with Haley, why didn't she just come back home and meet him? But if Luke knew anything, he knew better than to question women getting dressed. Besides, the River Court was on the way out of town and made more sense than Haley's place anyway. So he did what he was told and headed to get his girl.

When Luke pulled up to the River Court, he knew something was up. Cars were parked all around and it looked like there was a stage set up near the back of the court. As he got out of the car and looked around in confusion, he immediately noticed Nate approaching. Waiting for his brother to get to his side, Luke continued to take in the scene. He could see white cloth-covered chairs on the court and decorations--what the heck was hanging off the basketball goals?--scattered around the court while well-dressed people--was that Whitey?--mingled around. His thoughts were going a mile a minute but only one came through with clarity: 'What the hell?'

The images that make up the River Court are seared into his brain. No other place has shaped the history of his life more or is more familiar. He's seen it vandalized by the Ravens and covered in artwork like Peyton's now-faded comet. He can picture it crowded with people watching him battle his brother for the first time and he can picture Peyton standing with her arms around his neck as they said their goodbyes before she left for L.A. He's watched it get dingy with time and worked to fix it up when he returned to Tree Hill. But he's never seen it quite like this.

And no matter where he looked--and yes, that was Whitey talking to Jake Jagielski!--Peyton was no where to be seen.

Lucas turned to Nate, "What the--"

"Welcome to your wedding bro."

"My wedding? My…" Luke couldn't get the words out. His wedding? How could it be his wedding? But of course, it did look like a wedding. And he was pretty sure he could see Larry Sawyer in a suit talking to a very minister-looking man. "How can this be my wedding?"

"Here, maybe this will explain things." Nate handed him a piece of paper and Luke knew immediately it was one of Peyton's drawings. Looking down he saw he and Peyton standing center court getting married. Peyton in a white dress stood facing him (dressed in the exact suit he has on!) and holding his hands. Luke could even see the basketball goals standing on either side of them but what he noticed most was that Peyton's eyes were locked on his. He knew exactly what she meant when she told him it was like he could see her soul. He had always felt the same and she had captured that sentiment perfectly in the picture. Staring at that _connection _Luke almost missed what was written on the bottom of the drawing. 'Because people always leave. But sometimes they come back.'

"How'd she…Where's…" Luke shook his head. Apparently he was still having trouble talking.

"Yeah, I didn't think she'd pull it off. Clearly you are pretty oblivious man." Nate clasped Luke by the shoulder and began to pull him forward. "So, are you ready to get married or what?'

Seeing Nate lead a dumbfounded Lucas towards center court Skills approached them both. "We gonna do this thing?'

"Yeah." Lucas recovered slightly and zeroed in on Skills and Nate. "Yeah. We're going to do this thing. I'm getting married. Where do I go? Where's my girl?' Luke was getting excited and he needed to see her. He couldn't believe she did this. He had thought he was ready to get married before but now that it was finally time, he couldn't wait a minute more to make Peyton Sawyer his wife.

Nate resumed pulling Luke forward. "Alright, let's go. You know the drill. Ceremony, reception, blah blah blah. You've been here before, remember?" Nate smirked.

But Lucas, suddenly serious, replied "I've never been here. Not just this place."

"Yeah. Oh and Luke, you have the ring, right? "Nathan watched as Luke instinctively wrapped his hand around the box in his pocket. "I have a feeling you might be needing it. " Nate grinned. "I told you a band would be perfect! Ha. Sucker."

And with that Luke took his spot at center court where Nathan and Skills stood next to him. He shook hands with Peyton's dad and the minister. Looking around in awe at the people taking their seats in a half circle around him, he did a double take when he saw his mom and little sister. Not wanting to intrude as the wedding was starting, his mom just smiled and waved but Lily couldn't help herself. She ran to Luke and he caught her by the waist on the fly. Much later, Karen would tear up over the scene caught by the photographer--Luke in his best suit swinging Lily in a circle with her pink dress twirling and white ribbons flying. At that moment the dominant thought on her mind was simple: how proud would Keith be of their two babies--for Lucas was always Keith's--if he could see them now. After a long hug Luke finally put Lily back on her feet and she ran back to Karen, stopping to stick her tongue out at the little boy now standing in front of Nathan.

Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, music began to play. Looking around Luke noticed a band set up near the water for the first time. As he scanned the scenes before him, trying to see everything at once, his breath caught in his throat when his eyes tracked over the black limo pulling up to the court.

Luke's eyes never left the car and so the first thing Peyton saw when she stepped out was Luke's blue eyes and lopsided smile. Brooke and Haley were frantic to fix her dress but Peyton only had eyes for Luke. Smiling shyly, she shrugged her shoulders and took her place behind her two friends at the end of the court. Luke's gaze didn't stray from hers until Nathan, interrupting their trance, leaned to Luke's ear and whispered, "Your girl's beautiful. Why'd I ever let her get away?" Then Haley caught his eye and smiled. "Oh yeah. That's why."


	7. Love Me Do

I really want to get this story done by Christmas so I may update more frequently than usual but I'm not sure I will make it. If I don't, I hope you all have a very happy holiday! Sorry its so short but I wanted to break the wedding/reception up a little. I think the seperate scenes deserve their own chapters.

* * *

**Chpt. 7: Love Me Do**

For Peyton the wedding ceremony passed in a blur but for Luke it was as though every detail was instantly committed to memory. He knew he would remember this day with perfect clarity--a sensation he only seemed to achieve around Peyton--and he was certain he would be compelled to write the details down. Even as Haley walked towards him he could picture himself drafting this scene: 'And suddenly I knew my best friend had always been right. I was finally following my heart and doing so had led us all to this moment; this moment when Haley James Scott walked to her three favorite men with a wide grin and flowers in her hair. Then Haley crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at us and the moment was lost.'

Looking past Haley even as he laughed, Luke couldn't help but smile as Brooke approached. Before she winked and turned to stand next to Haley Luke took a moment to think that there was no one who wore Brooke Davis quite like Brooke Davis. And that was his last thought before his mind went utterly blank.

Peyton walked slowly up the "aisle" to Lucas. The music changed to Pachabel's Canon in D and the audience rose to its feet but neither Lucas nor Peyton noticed. Their eyes, brighter than ever, stayed locked during her slow approach and when she was still several feet away Lucas, eager, took the last few steps to meet her. Peyton shyly whispered, "Surprise" when Luke grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. But it was Luke who surprised a laugh out of her when he drew her all the way into his arms and crushed his mouth to hers. The minister cleared his throat loudly and Luke finally pulled away, muttering a sheepish "sorry" to the minister and laughing when a smiling Peyton responded, "so worth it."

* * *

Luke may remember the entire day with more clarity than Peyton--he didn't have a million details running through his mind, did he?--but there were moments that carved instantly into her heart. When the minister began to recite the vows Peyton couldn't help but feel a little anxious. After all, this was finally their time. Lucas and Peyton, true love always. Always. And it was starting now.

"Do you Peyton Eliza…"

"I do." Everyone laughed as Peyton interrupted the minister.

"She has a problem with answering before she hears the question. Did the same thing to me when I proposed," Luke explained.

"Okk…Well…Hmm. Do you Lucas Eu…"

"I do." Even Peyton laughed when Lucas interrupted the befuddled minister.

"You just didn't want him to say 'Eugene'" Peyton whispered.

"Ok then." The minister finally decided to just go with the couple. "I don't think I'm even needed here. Let's see then. Mr. James Lucas Scott?" Jamie, who up till now had spent the ceremony making faces at Lily, looked up in surprise, a little worried he was going to get in trouble from a _minister_. "Do you know what comes next young man?'

"Oh! " Jamie nodded vigorously, bouncing on his toes. "You get to kiss her again Uncle Luke!" Amid the laughter and applause from the crowd Luke whispered "Thanks Jimmy Jam" and laid his lips softly on his new bride. And that was the moment Peyton Sawyer would never forget--surrounded by the happy sounds of their friends and family standing in the center of the place where it all started as Luke lifted her off her feet and spun her slowly in the air, unconsciously reenacting her most favorite kiss as the minister replied, "Welcome to the first day of the rest of your lives, Mr. and Mrs. Scott."


	8. We Are Man and Wife

**Chpt. 8--We are Man and Wife**

Luke couldn't stop smiling as he and Peyton walked hand-in-hand down the make-shift aisle. He stopped short to finally embrace his mother while Peyton handed her flowers off to Brooke. Over his mom's shoulder Lucas could see guests beginning to migrate near the back of the court, ready to greet the couple, but he was impatient. Maybe it was selfish, but he needed time alone with Peyton before he could share her with their family and friends. Thinking this, he grabbed her hand again and began to pull her down the aisle, not even giving her time to greet Karen or her awaiting dad.

"Luke, what are you doing? Luke. Luke! Where are you dragging me?"

Luke didn't respond. He just continued to pull her, past the awaiting crowd and straight into the limo, practically dragging her, squealing, across his lap and into the car, slamming the door behind them.

"Luke," Peyton continued to laugh. "Lucas Scott, what are you doing?! Our friends…oh." Her laughs turned to sighs when Luke, softer than ever before, simply laid his lips on hers. A long time later, Peyton pulled back with her hands cupped on Luke's face. Smiling at him she spoke softly, "Luke, everyone is waiting. There's a whole reception and a few more surprises. We can't just stay--"

"I love you Peyton Sawyer. Scott."

"God that sounds fantastic." She dropped her forehead onto his. "You could say that to me every day for the rest of our lives and it still wouldn't be enough."

"Then I'll say it twice a day. I love you Peyton Scott."

_______________________________________________________________________

"What are they doing in there Aunt Brooke?" Jamie was getting impatient. He wanted to tell Uncle Lucas that he knew the secret all along and never told! Plus he had already changed into his Ravens jersey. No matter what his Momma said, he was certain Luke would want to play basketball on his wedding day.

"Ummm. I'm sure they are just talking Jamie."

"Yeah, right. I bet Uncle Lucas is kissing Aunt Peyton all over right now!"

"So not going to go there," Brooke muttered under her breath as Nate approached shaking his head.

"Come on Jimmy Jam." His dad grabbed him by the jersey. "Let's go move those chairs off the court and give your Aunt Brooke some time to recover."

________________________________________________________________________

Leaning Peyton back against the seat, Luke let his hands roam over the silk of her dress and up to the bare skin at her shoulders. "I like the dress, "he told her as one hand softly kneaded the material at her hip while the other lightly traced her collarbone with his fingertips. Letting his lips drop to her neck, he gently nipped her earlobe on his way down and smiled at her sharply indrawn breath. He could feel Peyton's heart race beneath his palm and knew when she moaned that he had to stop. Stop now or there would be no turning back. Reluctantly he pulled away and traced his thumb over her bottom lip. "I guess we should get out there, huh?"

"Yeah. But…" Suddenly Peyton was less eager. "I love you, too, Lucas Scott. You were surprised?"

"Blown away. I can't believe you actually planned a surprise wedding."

"Well, you've been pretty distracted lately, with Q and everything. And I wanted to give you something. You're always saving me; I just wanted to save you for once."

"How long have you been planning this?"

"Since the plane ride back from Vegas. Well at least that's when I got the idea that it should be at the River Court. We grew up here, you know? And when I found out this day, the day you first became a part of my life, was a Saturday, well, it all just fell together."

Lucas kissed her again. "You gave me a wedding at my most sacred place, with all my friends and family. And still it's us, our life together, our future, that makes this day so perfect." Of course this led to more kissing but it was Peyton who pulled away this time.

"Oh! I almost forgot! God! It's beautiful, Luke." Peyton finally got to look at her new ring. When the minister began the wedding band ceremony Peyton almost panicked. She couldn't understand how the minister had forgotten her explicit instructions: no rings. But when she looked at Brooke, trying to figure out what to do, Brooke just winked at her. Then Luke started to remove a box from his pocket and she realized she wasn't the only one with a few tricks up her sleeve. Now she was looking at her wedding band--God, didn't that sound fantastic?--and she didn't think Luke could have found a more perfect ring. It really was beautiful. "It's just perfect. But how did you know to get me a band? You sure you were surprised?"

"Trust me, I had no idea. Your little worker bees were on the job. I wanted to get you something Peyton. You know, anniversary. But I didn't want to replace your Mom's ring. That's too special." Luke held her hand and lightly ran his thumb over the two rings. "I was pretty undecided until Nate convinced me to buy a band. 'Stay unconventional' Haley said. Ha. Guess she knew what she was talking about, huh?" Luke lifted her hand to his lips. "And then they did this," he held up his own hand, displaying the simple silver band.

"I know." Now Peyton brought his hand to her lips. "I can't believe they got you a ring. I'm so glad. I'm so glad we are wearing these symbols. That means something Luke."

"It does. I know. Did you see that they had it engraved?" He removed his ring to show her. Carved into the ring was 'Lucas and Peyton-TLA.' Luke looked into her eyes and repeated "Lucas and Peyton, True Love Always. Pretty great, huh?"

"Perfect. It just keeps getting more perfect." When he had replaced the ring Peyton linked her fingers between his and, bringing their joined hands to his face, pulled him forward for another kiss. When Luke changed the angle and began to deepen the kiss she sighed against his lips before pulling away.

"Ok, I'm not saying it again Luke. We really need to get out of this limo. People are going to wonder.

"Ha. Let them wonder." He leaned forward to kiss her again.

"Luke."

"Ok. Let's go, Blondie." He began to move towards the door.

"Luke, wait," Peyton grabbed him by the lapels. "One more." And she pressed her lips to his one last time as they began to scoot out the car. "I love you, Luke." When he finally opened the door and pulled her back out the crowd burst into applause and Peyton burst into laughter.


	9. Moon River

Ok everyone, I'm a little worried that this chapter is a little over the top, what with the song and the gift and everything but this is how it has played out in my head from the very beginning and since its my first time doing this, I decided to go with my instincts. Let me know what you think!

Oh and just fyi, there will be one more chapter after this. Probably an epilogue.

* * *

**Chpt. 9: Moon River**

With the reception in full swing, Brooke and Peyton stood to the side, watching the show. While Mouth led most of the guests dancing to Tric's most popular act on one-half of the court, on the other Luke had removed his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and was once again battling his brother in an aggressive game of two-on-two--Luke and Skills vs. Nate and Jamie. It looked to Peyton like Jamie was going to be the high scorer, riding high on his dad's shoulders for most of the game. By now night had fallen and the moon shining on the river only added to the magic of the evening.

Sensing her friend's contentment, Brooke bumped Peyton with her hip. "You did it P. Sawy…P. Scott. Huh. Yeah, that's never going to work. You'll just have to stay P. Sawyer to me. I've known you the longest so I get to decide these things." Brooke stated matter-of-factly while Peyton laughed. "Besides, there're too many Scotts in this town anyway."

"Ok B. Davis, you call me what you want. I don't think I could stand to be called anything else by you anyway. You know none of this would have happened without you, right?"

"It was nothing."

"No. I don't just mean the wedding and the dress and the rest, though God knows I needed you for all of that. I mean this," Peyton gestured towards Luke but encompassed the whole crowd. "This. Me and Luke, this Leyton thing. When I needed my best friend, when I needed to come home, when I needed…him," Peyton looked to Luke as his Mom dragged him across the court for a dance. Turning back to Brooke she continued, "You were there. You were there for me. You were there for him. You came home for me. You made this happen." Both girls could feel the tears well up when Peyton wrapped her arms around Brooke. "I can cry just a little now. I love you B. Davis. I always have."

"I love you too Peyton. God we are such girls. Now go dance with your husband" Brooke gestured to Luke, "before Owen sees me and thinks I've had too many B. Davis's. I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry, even if he did offer to bartend your reception _gratis_." She smacked Peyton on the ass as the girls broke apart from their hug.

"Ok, but," Peyton turned to walk backwards as she called to her friend, "your ass looks pretty good in that dress you made B. Davis. Why don't you get it out here and show it off!" And with that the band pumped up the music and the two girls joined the crowd on the dance floor, uh, court.

"Hey teacher girl," Brooke yelled, "get your ass out here and let's show 'em how it's done! Maybe we'll convince that husband of yours to strip again."

Mouth grabbed a laughing Brooke and swung her into a dance while Haley and Peyton joined along. Luke and Nate, now the only ones not dancing, gave each other a 'what the hell' shrug and ran out to join their girls.

* * *

"Peyton wanted this day to be a complete surprise so we" Haley gestured to the others standing next to her with their respective glasses raised high, "decided to throw in some surprises for her too. When she asked me to sing something for her last dance with Luke and gave me the job of picking the song, I knew the stakes were high. Not only is this a huge moment, but this is Peyton Sawyer we're talking about. Music producer, my music producer, and aficionado extraordinaire." Peyton laughed as she stood center court with her arms around Luke. "I knew I could never pick the perfect song. So I decided to write one instead."

"Woooo!!" Luke cheered as Peyton's eyebrows rode high with her grin.

"This song is for the two of you." Haley held her wine glass high. "My best friends, who are finally living the life they started on this very day back in high school. Cheers."

"This very day, you came to me and I began to breathe." Haley sang acapella as Peyton and Lucas began to dance. "This very day, we started something new and I believed; in love, in life, in me, in you, in us, in everything. This very day.

"And oh I know the Earth did not stand still. And oh I know the stars did not fall down. But you came to me and I could see forever in your eyes. My world would never be the same, I came to realize, this very day."

"This very day," Mia walked from the crowd and she and the band began to join Haley in the song, "you walked into my life and I began to hear. This very day, the music of our hearts was everywhere. It sang to me and I believed forever could be ours. This very day."

"And oh I know the Earth did not stand still. And oh I know the stars did not fall down. But you came to be and I could see forever in your eyes. My world would never be the same, I started to realize, this very day."

"This very day, you touched my soul and we both fell in love. This very day, you brought me to the place we'll always stay. And I can see that you and me will never be apart. **Because you're standing next to me and still you stop my heart.** This very day."

"And oh I know the Earth will not stand still. And oh I know the stars will not fall down. But you come to me and still I see forever in your eyes. My world will never be the same, I hope you realize. This very day."

Luke kissed Peyton as the song came to an end and soon they were both oblivious to their friends' cheers. But Peyton couldn't stop herself--she pulled away from Luke to run to where Haley and Mia stood, beaming. Hugging them both she began to shout, "Haley! You wrote us a song! Oh I was so hoping you would! It was beautiful Haley James Scott. You are a rock star! And you!" Turning to Mia, "I didn't even think about you singing. I mean with everything last time…" But Mia just shook her head. "I almost left Lucas to watch you two like a regular fan. It was fantastic!" Lucas and Haley laughed as Peyton kept going a mile a minute. "You know we are going to record that, right?"

"Peyton, no business at our wedding." Luke shook his head. "It was beautiful, Hales. Really. You too, Mia."

"Thanks. Actually," Mia turned back to Peyton, "we were thinking we'd record it as a duet on Haley's new album."

"You know, sort of use Mia to jump start my comeback."

"Haley! What did I tell you! Don't call it a comeback!" Nate shouted at his wife from his spot back on the basketball court.

Ignoring Nate Mia continued, "the plan works really well for us both."

Peyton hugged them both again. "God, that's perfect! Can this day get any more fantastic?"

"Actually, I think maybe it can." Everyone turned to Brooke. "Haley and I couldn't leave you without a few surprises Peyton. Although Nate and Lucas did a great job conjuring up that surprise strip of glitter." She held up Peyton's hand for the thousandth time. "Come on you two." Still holding Peyton's hand, Brooke began to guide her and Lucas back to center court. Snagging a loose ball, Luke paused and, stepping into the fade away, took his shot. Peyton clapped but Brooke rolled her eyes when the ball effortlessly dropped into the basket.

Grinning, he turned back to the two girls. "What's up Brooke?"

"That fade away's still crap, that's what's up" Nate shouted.

"Oh shut up boys. God, when will we ever be done with basketball? Ok P. Sawyer--

"Scott," Lucas interrupted.

"Yeah, we discussed that." Peyton laughed as Brooke explained to Lucas, "we aren't gonna go with P. Scott. Sorry Luke. Anyway, P. _Sawyer_, we, all of us," Brooke's arms spread to include the whole crowd, "weren't really sure what to get you guys. I mean, what do you buy for a surprise wedding for people who are already living together in a fully furnished house?" Peyton laughed. "So, we pooled our money together and--"

"Of course Brooke's got the deepest pool," Haley interrupted.

"Well," flipping her hair over her shoulder, "owning your own clothing line is good for _some_ things. And my mother can't have _everything_ in this 'divorce' we're going through." Brooke tried to laugh but it was a little bitter and strained at the edges so Peyton squeezed her hand. "Anyway. What was I saying? Oh yeah. So. Here it is, an all expenses paid trip to London." Peyton and Lucas's mouths dropped open at the envelope Brooke handed them. "We figured it was the home of Shakespeare and the Cure. So there's something for everyone."

"Oh my God, Best Friend Ever!" Peyton grabbed Brooke in a hug while Luke wrapped his arm around Haley.

"Wait! There's more. It just so happens, P. Sawyer that U2 is playing at the exact same time you are scheduled to take a day trip to Ireland." Brooke held up two concert tickets. What came out of Peyton's mouth, and Brooke's excited response, wasn't legible. Though it appeared the girls understood each other, no one else knew what they were squealing.

Shaking his head at them and trying to shut them up, Luke grabbed Brooke and planted a firm kiss directly on her lips. Laughing with him, she smacked his chest and said "No more benefits for you, Broody." But leaning into a hug she whispered in his ear "You know how hot that U2 show is going to make her? Well, for your surprise I made a little something for her to wear. Underneath, if you know what I mean." Luke laughed. "Take care of her, Luke. She's both of ours now."

"She saved me, Brooke. I'll never stop needing her." Pulling away from the embrace, Luke spoke louder, "It's too much. Really guys." Luke looked around the crowd, clearly overwhelmed.

"But we'll take it!" Everyone laughed at Peyton, who dragged Brooke away to lay a kiss on Luke's mouth who whispered in her ear 'I'm going to love you forever, Peyton Sawyer Scott.' Looking at the crowd she said, "I can't give a speech. And I can't let Luke give a speech. I'm sorry." Peyton shook her head at the light boos. "Seriously guys, I'll blubber. Aren't you all tired of always watching me cry?" Now everyone laughed again. "But I do want to say this. We grew up in this town, with these people. All of you are a part of what we did today. A part of our epic story." She smiled up at Luke. "This town, all of you, are characters in the story of our lives. So thank you, so much, for our happy ending."


	10. God Bless the Child

Ok, this is it--my first story, done! Let me know what you think of the final product. I'm pretty sure I've got "the bug" now so I'll probably write again. I already have a story half drafted for the West Wing section but I'm sure I'll always come back to Leyton/OTH.

Clearly I was in the Christmas spirit while writing this last chapter...

* * *

**Chpt. 10--God Bless the Child**

Five Years Later…

As she unfolded her extended belly out of her old Comet, Peyton could see the Christmas tree lights shining brightly through the front window to her home. After a tiring day, coming home to that happy sight immediately relaxed Peyton. She loved to watch Haley James Scott, Tree Hill's resident rock star and her sister-in-law, headline the Christmas Eve USO show that had become their tradition. But anyone who's ever been seven months pregnant can tell you, a 12 hour work day is just too long. She was ready to put her feet up, ASAP. And she wanted her family.

Walking up the drive, Peyton saw her front door open just in time to catch the curly blond bullet flying into her arms. At 3 and ½ years old, Sawyer Elizabeth Scott knew only one speed--fast. Lifting her daughter up until their eyes were level Peyton leaned her forehead against the little girl's. This was a habit Peyton shared with her husband that had become their daughter's favorite way of saying hello. She called it her "mommy-and-daddy kiss."

"It's Christmas Eve, Mommy!"

"I know baby. Is that why Daddy let you stay up so late?'

"Santa can't come till you come home. Daddy said so. We were waiting for you and you _never_ came!"

"I'm sorry baby. Aunt Haley wanted to sing all night long."

"All night long?" Sawyer's eyes widened. "But then Santa can never come to Jamie and Whitey's house." Sawyer's frown was worried as she considered the possibility that her cousins wouldn't get any presents this year.

"I know. That's why I stopped her, don't worry. Now let's go see your daddy." Seeing her husband in the doorway, Peyton put Sawyer down and laughed as she started to dart away, full speed. But the little girl stopped suddenly and turned back around.

"Oh! I forgot!" She put her little hands around Peyton's waist and lightly placed her lips on her mother's stomach. "Merry Christmas, baby Keith," Sawyer whispered. Sawyer loved to talk to her baby brother so it was inexplicable that Peyton's eyes welled up as one hand covered her daughter's curls and the other rested lightly on her still stomach. Must be the holiday and the hormones, Peyton thought and she started up the driveway to her home.

* * *

Much later, Lucas and Peyton curled together on the coach to enjoy the last quiet moments of Christmas. Tomorrow they would gladly join the insanity--Christmas morning with Sawyer and Santa, Christmas dinner at Nathan and Haley's with all its loud and crazy crowd, Christmas evening with Aunt Brooke who every year insisted Sam babysit the sleeping kids while the parents head out for some decompressing, but not-for-pregnant-women, cocktails--but for now Luke and Peyton enjoyed the silence. Peyton sat with her back leaning against Luke's chest and their hands joined over her stomach. Lucas ran a finger lightly over her wedding band, as was his habit for the last five years. The Christmas tree lights sparkled in the fire and Peyton sighed with contentment. "She's going to flip when she sees that life-sized replica of Aunt Brooke's favorite doll house. I don't think we'll ever get her out of that tree."

"You either, since you insisted the light was perfect for her first easel. She's going to look so cute scrawling away on a sketch pad up there, lost in the art like her mom."

"Ha. Lost in her clouds, like her dad. She may like to color but it's got nothing on her daydreams," Peyton smiled at Luke.

"Maybe," Luke shrugged. "I was right all those years ago, you know. Happy looks good on you." Luke kissed the top of Peyton's head.

"Oh yeah? Well you're looking pretty hot yourself," Peyton smirked. "You know, Haley sang 'This Very Day' at the show tonight. I still can't believe that song was her first number 1 hit. Remember when she and Mia sang it for our wedding?'

"You mean my surprise party?" Peyton giggled at Luke's dry question. "Of course I remember. God, what a great day, huh?'

"One of the best. If you had asked me then, I would have told you it would never get better than that day."

"And now?"

"Now, look what we have. Babies and Christmas and happy. I have everything with you, Luke." Turning she cupped her hands around his face as the clock struck midnight.

"Our own personal Air Supply song, huh?" Peyton laughed. Leaning his head on her forehead Luke continued, "I want more of everything with you, Peyton. True love always. Merry Christmas baby." His lips captured hers in a soft kiss, the kind made for late Christmas Eves. "Now, how 'bout a little Christmas wild and crazy in our bedroom?"

"How 'bout a little Christmas wild and crazy right here?" Peyton rolled till she and Luke squeezed side by side on the couch, smiling at his groan when she ran her nails down his torso.

"Ok. But first." Luke scooted down on the couch till he was eye level with Peyton's stomach. And then he did what he had done every night for the last seven months. Laying a light kiss on the top of her belly he whispered, "Goodnight Keith Roe Scott. We'll be seeing you."


End file.
